PBS has put together a very concise collection of articles outlining the future of media, with a focus on news. Part three of the series asks, “Can anyone predict the future for news and in-depth reporting?”
It's interesting to note that, as a traditional media source, PBS has chosen to put all of the content online, as well as making it available on TV. A discussion page makes for some interesting reader/viewer comments; it's good to see a variety of viewpoints made possible by the blending of input sources.
According to the Pew Research Center, 23% of Americans (on a given day) get their news from online sources. Only 4% total read (get news from) blogs.
However, Henry Jenkins, director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at MIT, says:
We are living through a shift in the communications environment on a scale that has only occurred a few times in human history, comparable to the shift from [an oral tradition] to literacy, the emergence of print and the rise of modern mass media.
I’d like to see that blog readership statistic revisited in a year. If Jenkins is right, that number is going to continue to rise. While it's extremely early in the grand scheme of these developments, it’s clear that we’re in for some staggering changes in the way we consume media in the near future (not that we haven’t been hearing that for years).
I’m tired of hearing “not that many people read blogs,” “only students/young people care about blogs,” etc., from traditionalists and other naysayers. While blogs are just a small portion of the internet’s content, the growth patterns are undeniable.
Check out what PBS has to say on the future of news. There’s certainly a lot to digest.
Xana @ Sun, 03/18/2007 - 10:33pm
I think Frontline did a great job with this series. It's good to point out that PBS has retooled their business model so as to incorporate online elements -- practicing what they preach, essentially.
Most important, as you point to, is that we are seeing a shift in -- not the death of -- the news industry.
Anyway, I'm glad that you mentioned the series because it really is worth checking out.